The WAWG Blog

According to the CIA World Fact Book, there is only one theocratic republic in the world. Are we on our way to becoming a second theocracy?

Is this even worth worrying about? Or are we halfway there and don’t realize it? What has kept the Christian theocracy from fruition?

Who is leading this march to the Christian theocracy? “Christianization of the Republican Party,” an article from The Christian Statesman answers this.

Don’t get the wrong idea. Just like Islam has it fundamentalists, Christianity has its’ theocratic right. They both put their respective religions in a bad light. “There is almost a sense of righteous paranoia that fuels these individual movements … The comparisons between conservative Christians and their Islamic counterparts in the Taliban are numerous – the most glaring being the drive to adopt a form of government based upon a repressive theocracy. …”

The Supreme Court is the last levee against a repressive theocratic flood that has been building for 25 years. Will this levee, like the one in New Orleans, give way due to lack of funding? Only in this case, the missing funding is counted in votes, not dollars.

What factors were driving our founding fathers when writing the Constitution?   One critical factor was taxation without representation.   However, they were also determined to establish the first secular state in a world of theocracies.

What has happened since then?   During the 20th century, the beliefs of legal secularists and values evangelicals have been battling via the Supreme Court to sustain or undo what our founding fathers established.

During these recent battles, how did the presence of Justice Sandra Day O’Conner affect the Supreme Court’s decisions?   How might near term changes to the membership of the Supreme Court affect the secular state established by our founding fathers?

For more on our founding fathers, the battle of the secularists and evangelicals, and what changes to the Supreme Court will lead to, please listen to this podcast from an interview of Noah Feldman by The Young Turks.

What happens to separation of powers and checks and balances when two branches of our government can declare war on the third?

Previous struggles over judges have lead to civil war, the industrial revolution, the New Deal and the Civil Rights movement.  Justice Sunday and Confronting the Judicial War on Faith are the start of the next major struggle. Do we really want ‘civil war’?

Here is what some are saying now:
“… a judiciary run amuck …”
” … stop judicial activism right in its tracks …”
” … legalistic equivalent of marxism …”
” … impeach judges …”
” I’m just in favor of mass impeachments if that is what it takes.”

Here are results from previous conflicts over the judiciary:
1857 – Dread Scott Case
Late 1800s to early 1900s – Conservative courts in the pockets of industrial barons
    ” … judges totally ignorant ..”
1937 – The Great Depression
     New Deal denied 5 to 4, “court packing plan” developed
1960s – One Person – One Vote, Banning school prayer, criminals must be warned of rights
    Impeach Earl Warren

How is this battle different from the past ones
   “Current attack is a new phenomenon ..”
   … open attack on the court system as a whole rather than any one issue …
   “secular left”
    criticism of their own republican appointees – “incredible tension”

Listen to a report on the roots of the current struggle over judges.

John Dean’s Conservatives Without Conscience documents historical activities of the social conservatives or the right-wing authoritarians (RWA). Here are a few more recent activities of the RWAs as documented by The Interfaith Alliance:

1. KANSAS ATTORNEY GENERAL USES PASTORS TO FUNDRAISE

Attorney General Phill Kline often talks about his Christian faith. But a leaked memo shows how Kline has mixed religion and money as part of an aggressive strategy to raise campaign funds and win re-election. “Get the pastor to invite 5 ‘money people,’ whom he knows can help,” Kline told his campaign staff in a detailed, four-page memo titled “church efforts.” The anonymously leaked e-mail memo provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at political fundraising and the methods the incumbent Republican is using as he faces Democratic challenger Paul Morrison, the Johnson County district attorney….”The Goal and Objective – numbers,” Kline wrote to campaign workers Bill Roche and Sylvia Chapman in the Aug. 8 e-mail. “Please try to get me in front of the largest crowds as we move through the remainder of the campaign schedule.”
• Lawrence World Journal, 09-11-06

2. KATHERINE HARRIS CALLS THE FIRST AMENDMENT “A LIE”

Rep. Katherine Harris, a Florida Republican who is seeking a U.S. Senate seat, said this week that God did not intend for the United States to be a “nation of secular laws.” “If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you’re not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin,” she said, citing abortion and gay marriage as two examples of that sin. Harris also said the separation of church and state is a “lie we have been told” to keep religious people out of politics. In reality, she said, “we have to have the faithful in government” because that is God’s will.
• Orlando Sentinel, 8-26-06

3. HAROLD FORD: FILMS CAMPAIGN AD IN CHURCH AND USES 10 COMMANDMENTS

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr.’s television advertisement, filmed inside Mt. Moriah East Baptist Church in Orange Mound, is being praised as innovative and revealing — but also condemned as pandering.     In the ad, Ford walks between the pews of the church with stained glass windows in the background, saying, “I started church the old-fashioned way — I was forced to. And I’m better for it.”
• Memphis Commercial Appeal, 9-23-06

Chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos asked Ford what message he means to convey by handing out business cards with the Ten Commandments on the back. “Elect me, I know the difference between right and wrong,” Ford said. “I don’t always live my life perfect, but I try my hardest to follow somebody that does, and I just don’t believe that, from looking at this politically, that Democrats ought to cede any ground to any Republican when it comes to morality and faith.”
• ABC News, 10-15-06

4. CA HOUSES OF WORSHIP DONATE TO CANDIDATES

Dozens of houses of worship in Los Angeles and throughout California have jeopardized their nonprofit status by giving money from their collection plates to political candidates, the Daily News has learned. In Los Angeles alone, 39 churches, synagogues and Buddhist temples were identified by political candidates as contributing more than $15,000 to their election campaigns since 1998, according to city Ethics Commission records…..”Charities and churches may speak to the issues of the day and engage in nonbiased voter education activities,” the IRS statement said. “But charities and churches do not have a right to ask Americans to subsidize their political actions with charitable contributions.”
• Los Angeles Daily News, 9-26-06

5. PATRIOT PASTORS URGED TO MOBILIZE VALUES VOTERS

Pastor Russell Johnson paces across the broad stage as he decries the “secular jihadists” who have “hijacked” America, accuses the public schools of neglecting to teach that Hitler was “an avid evolutionist” and links abortion to children who murder their parents.  Johnson leads the Ohio Restoration Project, an emergent network of nearly 1,000 “Patriot Pastors” from conservative churches across the state. Each has pledged to register 300 “values voters,” adding hundreds of thousands of like-minded citizens to the electorate who “would be salt and light for America.”  The Ohio effort isn’t unique. Johnson’s project has helped spawn the Texas Restoration Project in Bush’s home state. The fledging Pennsylvania Pastors’ Network has signed up 81 conservative clergy so far. Similar efforts are beginning to percolate elsewhere.
• USA Today, 8-3-05

6. MINNESOTA PASTOR ENDORSES FROM THE PULPIT

An event last night at Living Word Christian Center, a large suburban church in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, featuring Republican Congressional Candidate Michele Bachmann could cost the church its nonprofit tax status as the event appeared to endorse Bachmann for office. A personal endorsement from the pastor of the church, as well as Bachmann’s own statements in her speech, appear to have violated regulations pertaining to partisan politicking by churches. Bachmann is in a tight race with Patty Wetterling, a race that’s at the top of most election analysts lists in terms of importance and competitiveness.
• Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10-21-06

7. VOTER GUIDE SOLICITS FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE

Rival voter guides distributed by two Christian groups may leave some people confused about whether God is a Democrat or a Republican.  Conservative Republican voters probably will put more faith in a guide distributed by Christian Action Alabama, formerly the Christian Coalition of Alabama.  Democrat voters may favor a new guide from Redeem the Vote, a Montgomery-based group.  Redeem the Vote is asking candidates discussion questions about where they go to church, their favorite Bible verse, how they will publicly acknowledge their faith, and what role their faith will play in formulating public policy.
• Decatur Daily, 10-2-06

8. DC MINISTERS GO PARTISAN IN MAYOR’S RACE

The president of the Missionary Baptist Ministers Conference of Washington decided this summer for the first time in the century-old group’s history to take a partisan political stand, announcing his endorsement of mayoral candidate Linda Cropp. The city’s largest interfaith group says it has more volunteers registering people to vote than it has had in 15 years. In June, religious leaders held a conference to pull together a common agenda for the city’s future. Such preelection organizing has been ratcheted up in the city’s religious community in an effort to regain something it once had in abundance: political clout.
• Washington Post, 8-30-06

9. PASTOR CALLS FOR “A HOLY GHOST INVASION”

Pastor Rod Parsley of World Harvest Church underscored the role of religion in the governor’s campaign last Oct. 14, when he held a rally attended by hundreds on the steps of the Statehouse. “Sound an alarm. A Holy Ghost invasion is taking place. Man your battle stations, ready your weapons, lock and load,” Parsley said to enthusiastic applause…. In January, pastors on the left filed a complaint with the IRS accusing Parsley and a second conservative pastor, Russell Johnson, of violating federal election law. The complaint alleged that the pastors improperly used their pulpits for partisan politics by supporting Ken Blackwell, the Republican nominee for governor.
• Associated Press, 10-18-06
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10. PELOSI URGES DEMOCRATS TO SPEAK IN BIBLICAL TERMS

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi–a self-described “conservative Catholic” has lately been encouraging members of her party to couch their political arguments in Biblical terms so as to appeal to the God-fearing. In a St. Patrick’s Day speech on the genocide in Darfur, a topic that unites religious conservatives and liberals, Pelosi said, “The gospel of Matthew is something that drives many of us in our public service.  This language is an outgrowth of the “Faith Working Group,” an effort to coordinate discourse between House Democrats and churchgoers that Pelosi initiated just over a year ago, when the “values voters” of 2004 were still the subjects of liberal nightmares. She chose as the group’s chairman Rep. Jim Clyburn, an African Methodist Episcopalian from South Carolina’s 6th district, whom she has subsequently selected to serve as chairman of the House Democratic caucus as well. That promotion suggests the importance Pelosi places upon political fellowship with the faithful.
• Weekly Standard, 4-17-06

The following is extrapolated from an article by Dr. Phil.

1) Acknowledge the purpose.

Why do you do it? You have to be able to answer that question. Is it to help you deal with anxiety and stress? It may be hard for you to admit that you have a drinking or smoking habit, but you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge. Dr. Phil says, “What purpose does the behavior serve for you? If you’re an alcoholic, you’re not just drinking because you’re thirsty. Admit to yourself: ‘I’m medicating myself for anxiety, depression and pain. It numbs me to life.'”

2) Think rational thoughts instead of denial.
You understand at a conscious level, at an intellectual level that your fear is unreasonable, yet you continue to believe things that scare you most are still true and this perplexes you.

You understand at a conscious level, at an intellectual level that your addiction is unhealthy, yet you continue and this perplexes you. Dr. Phil points out, “If you’re in denial about it, if you’re minimizing it, if you’re trivializing it, if you’re conning yourself about it, then you’ll never get where you need to be.” If you can’t get through the day without a shot of vodka, you may be medicating yourself for anxiety, depression or pain. You may need to count on others to help you think rationally.

3) Use alternative coping skills.

People don’t break bad habits; they replace them with new ones. Recognize that you get a reward from smoking or drinking. Dr. Phil explains, “It calms you. It takes your anxiety away. It lifts your spirits. It numbs you to the pain of your life. If I take that away from you and then don’t put anything in its place, then you’re just there stripped of your coping mechanisms and you’re going to go back to what you were doing before.” Some alternative techniques to consider to replace your addiction are breathing exercises or relaxation techniques. Dr. Frank Lawlis, a mentor and former professor of Dr. Phil’s, has a series of relaxation CDs that help shift the way you react to any type of stressful circumstance in your life. You have the ability to quiet yourself. You have the ability to reduce stress levels in your body in a healthier way than smoking, drinking or whatever your addiction does for you now.

4) Identify your danger zones.

A danger zone can be a particular time of day or your reaction to a particular circumstance. There are times that you’re more prone to indulge in your habit than others. Recognize what those times are, and do something that is incompatible with the addiction you’re trying to break. For example, if you have the urge to light up during your 3 p.m. break at work, take that time to do your breathing or relaxation exercises instead. Dr. Phil encourages, “If you get through that two or three moments of impulse, I promise you it will go away.” You don’t have to be strong and powerful all day long every day. You just need to recognize your danger zones, and do something incompatible with your addiction.

5) Make lifestyle changes.

“It’s not willpower, it’s programming,” Dr. Phil says. You have to set your life up for success if you’re going to break your addiction. If you’re trying to stop smoking or drinking, try simple things like not carrying money for cigarette vending machines or cleaning your cupboards of alcoholic beverages. You may have to change the places you frequent, what you do for fun and whom you hang out with. If you are a computer junkie, remove the computer from your house. The best way to stop an addiction is to not have access to it.

6) Be accountable and have a support system.

Being accountable to someone means that that person will not only support you, but will give you the kick in the rear that you need when it gets tough and tell you the truth when you’re kidding yourself. Get your family and friends involved in your efforts to kick the habit. If you’re a smoker, print out these cards from Dr. Phil that warn your friends to refrain from indulging you. You can also find addiction support on the message boards at DrPhil.com. You need to find a community that supports you during this time and embraces your decision to be healthier. You may also need to seek treatment or check into a rehabilitative program.

7) Reward yourself.

Overcoming an addiction can be very difficult, but it can be done. When you see yourself making progress, even baby steps, you have to motivate yourself to keep going. Give yourself credit. Reward yourself for every step you make, starting with admitting that you have a problem and asking for help.

Authentic journalism requires an open mind, getting the details, checking the information against multiple resources to find consistancy and add validity, and time and resources to pull the story together. Here is one journalistic example, of many, done by Planet Money:

For seven months a team of investigative journalists from ProPublica looked into a story for us, the inside story of one company that made hundreds of millions of dollars for itself while worsening the financial crisis for the rest of us.

A hedge fund named Magnetar comes up with an elaborate plan to make money. It sponsors the creation of complicated and ultimately toxic financial securities… while at the same time betting against the very securities it helped create. Planet Money’s Alex Blumberg teams up with two investigative reporters from ProPublica, Jake Bernstein and Jesse Eisinger, to tell the story. Jake and Jesse pored through thousands of pages of documents and interviewed dozens of Wall Street Insiders.

Visit This American Life and click on “STREAM EPISODE” to hear authentic journalism.

They even commissioned a Broadway tone for this rip off of Americas common wealth to continue making the rich richer while ultimately putting millions out of work.

As happens when you read a new ‘technical’ book, you start to recognize what has been infront of you all the time but obscurred by distracting details. My past readings, Conservatives Without Conscience, allowed me to see the authoritarians ‘everywhere.’

Some of the newer elements I’ve noticed in our entertainment are a relatively new emphasis on both the individual and the rich. Realty TV programs are mostly about the individual. Contrast Realty TV competition with sports competition where a team is required to win. Reality TV is about one individual dominating all the other ‘weaker’ players or about a single judge replacing a jury of your peers.

In those Reality TV programs, they seldom work as a team and if they do, the losing team has to pick an individual to blame for the team’s failure. Reality TV is mostly about ‘me’ and little about ‘we.’

There also seems to be a growing number of programs that ‘worship’ the rich. Some are Reality TV cat fights, others are about doctors or lawyers who mostly solve problems for the rich. These shows about the rich are also mostly about ‘me,’ greed, and care less about ‘we.’

So, be aware of the conservative messages of “rugged individualism,” “the government is the problem,” and idolizing the greedy rich that appear in the entertainment you watch.

Another broader aspect of all this entertainment is it’s ability to distract viewers from the problems brought on by the authoritarians who promote individuals with guns, making the mega rich richer, and replacing our American government with corporate governance.

‘We the people’ are responsible for an effective American government which puts checks and balances on any abuse of citizens when citizens are powerless. This includes checking and balancing greedy individuals, greedy corporations, and the mega rich who don’t want to pay their fair share based on what they have taken from America’s common wealth.

“Barack Obama won 52.9 percent of the popular vote in 2008 and 365 electoral votes, 95 more than he needed. Many naturally concluded that prejudice was not a major factor against a black presidential candidate in modern America. My research, a comparison of Americans’ Google searches and their voting patterns, found otherwise. If my results are correct, racial animus cost Mr. Obama many more votes than we may have realized.”

“My estimates imply that continuing racial animus in the United States cost Obama 3 to 5 percentage points of the national popular vote in 2008, yielding his opponent the equivalent of a home-state advantage country-wide.”

Click to access RacialAnimusAndVotingSethStephensDavidowitz.pdf

What are the implications for the reelection for President Obama?

Labor law – right to take from union benefits without paying union dues

Funding the Public – right to take citizenship benefits wihtout paying citizenship dues

Gun ownership – the right to take lives with military weapons without paying for the loss of innocent children

Wealth Inequality – the right to take from others without paying a fair share

Dirty energy – the right to take natural resources without paying for environmental and health costs

Those on the political extreme right, right-wing authoritarians (RWA), have a world view that includes extreme individualism and an authoritarian hierarchy that puts men above all other living forms. This world view means inequality of individuals is OK.

Another element that grows out of this world view is that inequality gives them reason to feel special – better than others.

RWAs believe individuals are in complete control of their success and success only requires “hard work” by the individual. Those who are not successful just didn’t apply themselves and deserve their individually driven circumstance. In other words, RWAs have no understanding of indirect influences on the success of an individual like when, where, and into which family you were born.

RWAs believe those who are successful know better than those who are less successful, and the more successful they are, the more superior they feel.

These beliefs in individualism and superiority contribute to feeling they are special. These beliefs also lead to feelings of resentment and persecution when the ideas that make them special are challenged.

Evolution destroys the speciality of being created by God.

Treating a gun like just another piece of property like a car that needs to be licensed destroys the speciality of being able to punish someone less ‘successful’ than you.

Gay marriage lessens the speciality of creating another human.

Increasing citizenship dues on the wealthy destroys the specialty of actual or imagined future extreme wealth.

The underling idea that destroys RWA feelings of specialty is equality: more equality between all living things; equal control over hazardous property items; equality of all loving couples getting married; more equal distribution of income by re-imposing higher citizenship dues on those can’t recognize their individual success is due to many factors, including public infrastructure, not just talent and hard work.

Common thread-What is special for and about me is not for those not like me. RWA see themselves as special – more equal – and resent ideas that destroy their speciality – like equality.

… “Again, equality threatens the pride of those who deem themselves “special” and “unique,” and insufficiently “respected” for it.

… we’re seeing pushback from people who think themselves, whether justifiably or not, to be unique and special and even heroic, for which they congratulate themselves and expect to be congratulated, being told instead from the outside that they’re neither unique nor special nor heroic, which they resent.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/16/1278019/-A-Common-Thread-Among-Young-Earth-Creationists-Gun-Enthusiasts-Marriage-Exclusivists-and-the-1